Or for you folks who don't believe the decade is actually over, how about to close out the 2000s. Either way, with less than a day remaining, I thought I'd get my thoughts for the best D-I college players of the decade out before the ball drops.
One ground rule: a player has to have played the majority of his/her career in the 2000s for me to make them eligible. That's why Georgia Tech's Bryce Molder isn't on my list ... only played 1 1/2 seasons in the 2000s.
As always, disagree if you like but let me know who you'd pick instead.
__MEN
__Rhys Davies, East Tennessee State, 2003-07
3x 1st-team AA, 71.23 avg., 10 wins, three-time conference POY
Matt Every, Florida, 2002-06
3x 1st-team AA, 06 Hogan Award, 72.04 avg., 4 wins
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State, 2007-09
1st-team AA both seasons before turning pro, 08 Hogan Award
Bill Haas, Wake Forest, 2000-04
3x 1st-team AA, 04 Nicklaus Award, 9 wins, 70.94 avg. (69.0 as senior)
Billy Horschel, Florida, 2005-09
3x 1st-team AA, 2x SEC POY, 71.73 avg., 5 wins
Dustin Johnson, Coastal Carolina, 2003-07
2x 1st-team AA (1x 3rd-team), 3x Big South POY, 72.11 avg.
Brock Mackenzie, Washington, 2000-04
2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 71.65 avg., 4 wins
Hunter Mahan, USC/Oklahoma State, 2000-03
2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 03 Nicklaus Award, 2x Big 12 POY
Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech, 1998-2003
2x 1st-team AA (1x 3rd-team), 02 NCAA medalist, 71.91 avg., 5 wins
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2001-05
2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 04 NCAA medalist, 05 Nicklaus Award
D.J. Trahan, Clemson, 1999-2003
2x 1st-team AA (2x HM), 71.4 avg., 5 wins 02 Hogan Award, 02 ACC POY
Camilo Villegas, Florida, 2000-04
3x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 2x SEC POY, 71.21 avg., 8 wins
__WOMEN
__Amanda Blumenherst, Duke, 2005-09
3x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 3x Nat'l POY, 71.67 avg., 12 wins
Maria Hernandez, Purdue, 2005-09
3x 1st-team AA (1x HM), 09 NCAA medalist, 3x Big Ten POY, 13 wins
Katherine Hull, Pepperdine, 1999-2003
2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 03 Nat'l POY, 73.52 avg., 7 wins
Liz Janangelo, Duke, 2002-06
4x 1st-team AA, 03 Nat'l POY, 7 wins
Tiffany Joh, UCLA, 2005-09
2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 07 Pac-10 medalist, 08 Pac-10 POY
Stacy Lewis, Arkansas, 2004-08
3x 1st-team AA, 07 NCAA medalist, 2x SEC medalist, 10 wins
Charlotte Mayorkas, UCLA, 2001-05
3x 1st-team AA, 04 Pac-10 POY, 5 wins
Azahara Munoz, Arizona State, 2005-09
2x 1st-team AA (2x 2nd-team), 08 NCAA medalist, 2x Cummings Award
Virada Nirapathpongporn, Duke, 2000-04
4x 1st-team AA, 02 NCAA medalist, 02 ACC POY, 5 wins
Stacy Prammanasudh, Tulsa, 1998-2002
4x 1st-team AA, 3x WAC POY, 10 wins
Lorena Ochoa, Arizona, 2000-02
2x 1st-team AA, 02 Nat'l POY, 12 wins in 20 college starts
Alison Walshe, Boston College/Tulane/Arizona, 2004-08
2x 1st-team AA, Conf. medalist in 3 conferences
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